Ryan Harb – The Power of Permaculture

Ryan Harb shares his experience creating the first Public University Permaculture Garden in the nation and explains how we can use permaculture to empower ourselves and make a difference in our community and the world.

Harb is a certified permaculture designer, community organizer and was the first person in the nation to receive a Master of Science degree in Green Building. In 2010, Harb created a job for himself as Sustainability Manager for UMass Amherst Dining Services. He then began developing one of the first university permaculture gardens
in the nation that supplies locally grown produce and hands-on
sustainability education to the campus and local community. Within 18 months, “The UMass Permaculture Initiative” went viral and was featured in over 100 media publications including the New York Times, Boston Globe, Huffington Post, and on MTV. The project has engaged over 3,500 volunteers and won 8 national awards. In 2012, Harb was invited to the White House to